Nutrition for mass is a two-component phenomenon. The diet should “supply” the actively training male body with the necessary energy (its source is carbohydrates), and also provide building material for “building” new muscle fibers (protein products).

By and large, the process of gaining mass (in other words, increasing muscle volume) includes three main steps:

1. Muscle stimulation as part of the training process by working with heavy weights;
2. Supplying the body with nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) with food and special supplements (BCAAs, protein, vitamin-mineral complexes);
3. Quality rest necessary for muscle recovery and effective growth.

Below will be discussed key points related to nutrition, the goal of which is a qualitative increase in body weight (that is, muscle gain).

Basic Rules

Food for set muscle mass for men should be high in calories, so the amount of nutrients obtained from the diet should exceed the costs of those during periods of intense training.

Some athletes (especially beginners) are afraid to gain and excess fat. Of course, there is always the possibility of an additional layer of fat appearing during the active mass gain stage. It is extremely difficult to avoid this. However, give the muscles beautiful relief later using a low-carbohydrate diet (“drying”).

Some athletes take a different path - their diet for gaining weight is initially “dry” - that is, they simultaneously build muscle and get rid of fat. Although this approach has obvious advantages, it overloads the body - the body is subjected to daily high-intensity training in a calorie (and, therefore, energy) deficit. With an improperly organized diet for men, “gaining lean mass” can harm the body of athletes.

For example, three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) are supplemented with two carbohydrate snacks (second breakfast and afternoon snack) and a glass of protein shake before bed.

This approach will help increase the total daily calorie intake and “accelerate” metabolism.

The advantages of such nutrition for an athlete for weight are obvious:

• There may be significantly more food than the athlete is accustomed to eating during the day;
• You can increase the number of meals from 6 to 10. This will evenly distribute the intake of amino acids and other nutritional components into the body throughout the day and speed up metabolism.

To gain quality mass, an athlete needs to eat every two to three hours - this can be either a full meal or a snack.

So, the first two requirements that should be adhered to while gaining muscle mass were discussed above:

• Increase in total daily calories;
• Correction of diet (the number of meals increases from 6 to 10).

Now it is necessary to pay attention to one more important point - changing the structure of an athlete’s diet when training to gain weight, that is, correcting the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates (hereinafter referred to as BZhU).

Optimal proportions:

• Proteins – 25-30%;
• Fats – 10-15%;
• Carbohydrates – 50-60%.

This ratio is considered not only “healthy”, but also useful for anabolism (increasing muscle mass). This structure is designed to provide the body with a sufficient amount of amino acids (“building materials”), as well as to give it the necessary energy while “supporting” a minimum amount of vegetable fats.

About nutrients

Obviously, the basis of nutrition for muscle growth is BJU. Each of these components can also be different. Thus, proteins can be fast (protein, whey protein isolates are instantly absorbed) and “long-lasting” (meat products are absorbed extremely slowly).

Fast proteins are needed when the athlete’s body has been “starving” for a long time and requires replenishment of building materials - this happens early in the morning and immediately after an intense workout.

“Long” proteins are required by the body at all other times. The best time to take a protein shake is right before bed.

The best sources of protein for a sports diet for weight gain:

• Meat (preferably poultry);
• Seafood, fresh fish;
• Dairy products: low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt, kefir, milk;
• Eggs;
• Nuts;
• Legumes (lentils, peas, beans).

Along with this, athletes (especially beginners) need to avoid the following protein products:

• Smoked meat;
• Homemade fat cottage cheese;
• Ham;
• Sausage (particularly salami);
• Sweet milk formulas (for example, yoghurts).

Carbohydrates are also divided into “fast” and “slow”. The first group includes fructose and glucose (compounds that are quickly absorbed and raise insulin levels), the second group includes dietary fiber, which is slowly absorbed and therefore does not cause a sharp “jump” in blood sugar.

Fast carbohydrates should “enter” the body immediately after training and early in the morning, immediately after waking up. Their task is to “supply” the body with the necessary amount of energy or quickly replenish its massive costs. At all other times, as part of main meals, athletes require slow carbohydrates (porridge). Before going to bed, you should avoid any carbohydrates.

The best carbohydrates for athletes gaining muscle mass:

• Porridge (millet, rice, buckwheat, oatmeal);
• Pasta (only from durum wheat);
• Black, bran, rye bread;
• Muesli (cereals);
• Vegetables such as potatoes, beets and carrots are recommended to be consumed within reasonable limits - they contain a large amount of starch.

Fats can be saturated (bad) and unsaturated (healthy). The last group includes vegetable oil, fish, omega 3. Their main task is to reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol in the body. It is better to avoid bad fats (mayonnaise, butter) - consuming them can lead to gaining extra pounds.

The best fats:

• Vegetable oils (olive, corn, flaxseed);
• Avocado;
• Fish.

Power scheme

Let's consider approximate menu for building and growing muscle mass:

• Morning – water + simple carbohydrates;
• Throughout the day – slow proteins + complex carbohydrates;
• A few hours before training – light proteins + medium carbohydrates;
• Half an hour before training – free form amino acids + whey protein isolate;
• During the session - sweet water with glucose (if the athlete wants to increase muscle mass), BCAAs (when the athlete also wants to “dry out”);
• Immediately after training – simple carbohydrates (juice, gainer) + amino acids in a simple form;
• An hour after class there should be a full meal;
• In the afternoon – complex carbohydrates + complex proteins;
• Before bedtime – there are no carbohydrates, “long-lasting” proteins (cottage cheese, casein protein) are recommended.

Athletes gaining muscle mass should completely avoid sweet and flour confectionery products. Of course, they are very tasty, but when they enter the body, they immediately cause a spike in blood sugar, stimulate appetite, and, in truth, they themselves are a source of a lot of unnecessary calories. In response to this “behavior,” the body immediately begins to convert glucose into fat.

It is also better to limit fast carbohydrates and fats in the diet. Under no circumstances should there be any smoked meats, sausages, store-bought sauces, ketchups or mayonnaise on an athlete’s daily menu.

It is recommended to eat as many fruits, vegetables and greens as possible - fiber has a positive effect on the digestion process and slows down the absorption of carbohydrates - thus, the level of glucose in the blood increases gradually, and mono-, di- and polysaccharides do not turn into hated fat cells.

You need to pay attention to your diet. “Mass” athletes should not eat large portions several times a day (and heterogeneous food).

Meals should be frequent, fractional, regular. Only in this case, beneficial substances enter the body gradually and are better absorbed.

Of course, these recommendations are of a general nature only. Each athlete (whether a bodybuilder or a weightlifter) must create an individual diet based on the characteristics of his own body. Compliance with it requires enormous self-discipline, but the result is worth it.

So, you have come to the realization that you are not entirely happy with your body - you need to gain some weight, this muscle group is lagging behind, or appearance leaves much to be desired, and it would be nice to increase the “meat”.

Congratulations - it's already a good start! The goal has been set, and the way out is to gain muscle mass.

But here’s the problem: there isn’t much money. But you want a lot... However, you shouldn’t immediately lose heart and doom yourself to be a scumbag forever and ever. There is always an interchangeable alternative, which will be discussed in this nutrition program.

Main components of weight gain:

• Eating for a calorie surplus (that is, more calories should be received than consumed during the day). Preference should be given to complex carbohydrates (buckwheat is the boss of everything!), meat (beef, breast) and fish, dairy products (cottage cheese!), bananas and vegetables.
• Competently composed training process. The number of repetitions should be 8-12 (read more). Also, don’t forget about periodization of loads (you can’t work only to increase weight all the time!). To do this, you can take a couple of personal training sessions (especially important if you are new to the gym and have not completely mastered the exercise technique - this will reduce the risk of injury, instead of the desired result).
• You should pay attention to nutrition before and after training (you need to eat immediately after the training session)
• Meals at night - the best option would be to eat cottage cheese, as it contains 50% casein proteins, which will provide nutrition to the muscles for a longer time (that is, while you are regaining your strength)
• Recovery and regimen.
• Water balance. Sufficient intake of water in the body will have a positive effect on muscle mass gain.

If you are also an ectomorph, then you need to remember that:

• Gaining muscle mass can be slow, so be patient. And food. A lot of food.
• You should eat often, and you should not allow yourself to feel hungry.
• A specific training scheme (training time should not exceed 60 minutes, number of repetitions 6-8)
• You should categorically refuse cardio exercises (You don’t want to “waste” the necessary calories?)
• And it’s better not to be nervous, to avoid stressful situations as much as possible. Otherwise, there will be an increased production of the stress hormone - cortisol and all efforts, roughly speaking, will be down the drain.

Now let's come specifically to nutrition. So, what products will make up the “basic” set in a crisis?

• Buckwheat, pearl barley, rice, oatmeal, pasta
• Chicken breast, thighs
• Cottage cheese, milk, kefir, Russian cheese
• Bananas
• Broccoli, green beans (as a source of fiber)

As you can see, all products are available and inexpensive. We will look at diet options below.

Concerning sports nutrition, then it is worth noting that this is not at all necessary. The same protein or gainer is used as a dietary supplement (!) to the main diet in case of a lack of any nutrients or calories. Therefore, spending on sports nutrition is not always necessary.

Anabolism and quality set to everyone!

Low body weight greatly affects a person’s mental state. This is the first significant signal that warns of the presence of hidden dangerous diseases of the body. In case of sudden weight loss, immediate action must be taken as these changes can lead to a catastrophic or fatal outcome. Gaining weight is possible through special diet, which allows you not only to increase weight, but also to control the condition of the entire body as a whole.

To avoid any problems with weight, the diet should be constant or periodic, depending on the characteristics of the body. A weight gain diet for men is a special diet that helps support the body. This diet consumes foods that are high in calories. It is first necessary to undergo a medical examination to reveal the causes of weight loss. Only then can appropriate treatment begin. The right approach

to an advanced disease will give significant weight gain and improve overall dynamics. This increase can reach up to 2 kg in 1 month.

An effective method for gaining weight

When pathological changes begin to occur in a man’s body, problems with weight appear, it is necessary to apply the right, thoughtful decisions and try to avoid further mistakes. Gaining weight is not always easy for men. The first mistake is to try to do this by sharply increasing the amount of product consumed.

This decision is not correct enough, because it threatens to disrupt digestive function. This method will not help you gain weight, but will lead to significant disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, including aversion to certain foods.

To gain the missing body weight, it is necessary to increase the caloric content of the product, and not the volume of its consumption. Gradually adding 200 calories per day will make a huge difference in your weight gain. High-calorie foods introduced into the diet gradually will help you gain weight. Small high-calorie portions of fractional nutrition are better accepted by the exhausted human body. Eating for weight gain involves starting the morning habit by drinking a glass of water about 30 minutes before meals. Water can be replaced with fresh juice or candied dried fruit compote. It is not recommended to consume foods with a glass of juice. Initially, fluid must enter the body. For weight, it is necessary to follow the recommendations of a nutritionist, since the male body requires special attention. It is easier and faster for a woman to gain weight.

You should not exercise after eating. Food products should be healthy and necessary, enriched with proteins and carbohydrates. The diet should include various cereals prepared with milk, flour or pasta, beans, honey or sugar essences, and fruit juices.

A weight gain diet for men requires more vitamins, which should be supplied along with eating your favorite foods.

For example, to mashed potatoes with a cutlet, you can add a salad well seasoned with rich sour cream. There is practically no difference in men's and women's diets. You can sprinkle pasta with healthy cheese and add dietary pork sausage.

Sample menu

Consider the menu for weight gain.

Diet No. 1

In the morning - oatmeal with boiled milk. This is the most useful and dietary product. You can add honey instead of sugar to the porridge and season it with a handful of raisins or nuts. For weight, a man needs white bread, buttered. You need to put a piece of cheese on top. Wash it down with a glass of hot milk or coffee with milk. This is quite enough for gradual weight gain.

Weight gain is possible with a rich and high-calorie lunch. These are fresh cabbage soup in meat broth, mashed potatoes, seasoned with butter. Vegetable salad with rich sour cream. Freshly squeezed fruit juice.
An afternoon snack will help a man gain weight. Here it is recommended to drink a glass of milk with waffles or cookies.
Dinner - buckwheat with boiled milk and candied fruit, hot sweet tea with white bread spread with butter.

Diet No. 2

The first breakfast is millet milk porridge, vegetable caviar, white bread spread with butter, and cocoa boiled with milk.

Second breakfast - a sandwich, white bread, buttered, with boiled sausage. In addition to the second breakfast, fresh juice is used.

For lunch, to gain weight, you can eat borscht cooked with meat broth. For the second course - meatballs or cutlets with pasta, seasoned with cheese. After eating the main meal, a sweet compote of dried fruits is recommended.

For an afternoon snack to gain weight, you can make a vegetable salad with grated cheese and olive oil.

Consulting an experienced nutritionist will help you gain weight correctly. You can gain weight not only from fatty meats or dairy products with a high fat content. If you increase the amount of food consumed gradually, you can see positive dynamics in weight gain.

But for such a diet it is necessary to undergo an examination to exclude diseases of the pancreas, esophagus and liver. Some men gain weight by using appetite stimulant medications.

This should only be used with appropriate permission and supervision from a physician. You need to gain weight slowly, following the necessary recommendations.

Proper nutrition for gaining muscle mass for men who want to gain pronounced muscles should be balanced and tailored to their training goals. We have prepared for you several menu options for training for relief, strength and muscle growth, which you can use to create a diet for a week and stick to it for a month or two. The only thing that is required is an increase or decrease in daily calorie intake, depending on your goals and intermediate results.

Nutrition is the way to getting the figure of your dreams. Your diet will help you get in shape; gain muscle mass, increase muscle definition (burn fat) or maintain the same weight.

Choose your diet for gaining muscle mass and create a regimen and the right combination of diet and training for muscle growth and definition.

Food gives you energy so you can perform properly in your workout. But proper nutrition also helps muscle growth and recovery after training.

The proposed diet includes everything necessary to build muscle tissue and obtain pronounced relief.

When striving for any result - to increase muscle mass, burn fat and maintain body weight - nutrition is the most important component of the process! Food measured in calories nourishes and transforms your body.

Your calorie intake will determine what kind of figure you get:

• Building Muscle: If you want to build muscle, your body will need more energy than before to fuel the growth of your body. You need to consume more calories than you burn, i.e. resort to excess calories. However, a forced increase in calorie intake will lead to fat accumulation. Only moderation and gradualness will allow you to control the result and avoid the formation of fat deposits.
• Maintaining body weight: This is an easy task when you consume and burn an equal number of calories, in other words, when you maintain your calorie maintenance level. It is with the determination of this indicator that it is worth starting in order to further outline a nutrition strategy for muscle growth or fat burning.
• Relief: For muscle definition to appear, calorie expenditure must exceed calorie intake. Those. We are talking about a calorie deficit. In this case, your body will draw energy from the breakdown of fat deposits, which will lead to weight loss. But your body can just as easily process muscle tissue, which is completely undesirable. Therefore, it is worth losing weight gradually. Too much quick loss body weight will ruin your health.

Correct proportions of macronutrients

Macronutrients are nutrients that must be supplied to the body in large quantities: carbohydrates, squirrels And fats. You should calculate the optimal proportions of macronutrients according to your fitness goals: build muscle or burn fat. In simple words, this ratio is affected by:

• Your Body Type: Some people are more likely to be overweight than others. They need to cut their consumption further carbohydrates And fat compared to others who want to “pump up”.
• Your fitness goal: Those working on relief are shown a different ratio of macronutrients compared to those gaining muscle mass.
• Your gender: Genetically, men are more suited to muscle building than women.

Macronutrient Proportions Based on Fitness Goals

This diet is based on a universal ratio of macronutrients for any of the tasks: mass gain, cutting and weight maintenance. As stated before, we all have different body types, so you will have to adjust these proportions yourself to achieve maximum results.

• Muscle building: carbohydrates – 40%, proteins – 40%, fats – 20%
• Weight retention: carbohydrates – 35%, proteins – 35%, fats – 30%
• Relief: carbohydrates – 30%, proteins – 40%, fats – 30%

Healthy fats

“Should I cut out fats if I’m going to get lean?” Good question. In reality there is several types of fats. Some of them are harmful, while the body cannot do without others. To burn fat in the body, it is necessary not only to create a calorie deficit, but adding omega-3 polyunsaturated fats will help improve the process of burning subcutaneous fat as a source of energy.

The benefits of foods are not a decisive condition for proper nutrition.

These days, healthy eating involves eating foods that contain little fat and many micronutrients: vitamins and minerals. Indeed, vitamin-rich foods provide health benefits. However, even when eating exclusively healthy food, you may not get the desired result if the total calorie intake is not normal. Sounds fair, doesn't it?

In other words: calories are calories. You need to focus on macronutrients first, no matter how healthy your sources are. You can't argue against science!

Eating frequently will make you feel better

Usually people who have tried many diets in their time have not lasted to the end on any of them, because this is a difficult task. Most of them are based on the introduction of food restrictions. Therefore, eating an extra grain of rice makes you feel guilty. However, the ability to comply daily dose macronutrients are much more important.

Both when gaining muscle mass and when eating for relief, we will focus on 3 main meals and 1-2 snacks. But it is acceptable to gain the required amount of calories in fewer meals, this is not so important.

Why? Because 3-4 meals a day will allow you not to feel hungry and will reduce cravings for junk food. The proposed nutrition plan for men will serve as an example that you can adapt to your daily routine. Don't forget to snack between main meals, and monitor your macronutrient levels!

Daily calorie intake for men

Your calorie intake is affected by age, height, gender and the number of workouts per week. Use the calorie calculator.

A healthy man with a balanced diet and moderate activity level will need 2300-2500 calories. Let's take these numbers as a basis.

Converting percentages to grams

First, let’s establish the calorie content of one gram of each of them:

• Carbohydrate: 4 Kcal/g
• Protein: 4 Kcal/g
• Fat: 9 Kcal/g

Now, let's take our 2500 Kcal and the proportions of macronutrients to maintain body weight:

• 35% carbohydrates: 2500 x 0.35 / 4 = 218.7 g
• 35% protein: 2500 x 0.35 / 4 = 218.7 g
• 30% fat: 2500 x 0.3 / 9 = 83.3 g

Cheat meal

You are allowed to treat yourself to a cheat meal once a week. Forget about counting calories. This is a well-deserved reward for your efforts!

Men's Weight Maintenance Meal Plan

The structure of this meal plan will be the basis for all others, so take notes. Some changes in it will allow you to reach the required level of macronutrients.

Normal indicators

• Carbohydrates: 35%
• Proteins: 35%
• Fat: 30%
• Calories: 2500 Kcal

Nutrition program for gaining muscle mass for men

The diet for muscle growth is structured in a similar way. However, we will introduce excess calories by slightly adjusting the foods.

KBZHU indicators

• Carbohydrates: 40%
• Proteins: 40%
• Fat: 20%
• Calories: 3000 Kcal

Foods added or removed from the diet to maintain body weight

Men's Relief Meal Plan

The fat burning diet is similar to the weight maintenance plan. In this case, we will slightly change the composition of meals to create a calorie deficit.

Normal indicators

• Carbohydrates: 30%
• Proteins: 40%
• Fat: 30%
• Calories: 2200 Kcal

Correction of foods from the diet to maintain body weight

Finally

With the help of the presented nutrition plan, you will gain muscle mass and increase your relief. Remember, this is just a meal structure template. Our bodies are different, be sure to listen to yourself.

Let's summarize all of the above:

If you have any questions, ask them in the comments below.

Contents:

What diet to follow and how to choose foods when gaining muscle mass.

Growing muscles improves a person's appearance, which is why nutrition to gain muscle mass is becoming increasingly popular. Women, by building muscle, remain thin, but gain tone and elasticity. Men become stronger, bigger and more athletic.

Muscle cells (myocytes) actively participate in metabolism, improve insulin control, and help burn more calories. Mass training combined with proper nutrition protect against sarcopenia - loss of myocytes with age. With a sedentary lifestyle, muscle fibers break down and are replaced by fat.

How do muscles respond to calories? How many do you need?

When you reduce calories, you risk losing muscle mass and slowing your metabolism. The study found that non-workout diets burned the same amount of fat and muscle. As a result, the percentage of body fat may even increase.

To gain 0.5 kg of muscle you will need 2800 calories mainly due to protein, but taking into account physical activity. Contractile proteins and fluid (sarcoplasm) in muscle fibers fall apart and rebuild every 7-15 days. Training changes protein metabolism and affects the type and amount of fiber produced. But truly overloaded muscles are able to grow even during fasting, drawing energy from fat reserves. Adequate nutrition for weight increases the body's response to stress.

Nutrition principles for muscle growth

The formation of new muscle fibers is based on foods high in proteins, carbohydrates and calories. However, the menu for the set should not include sausages, fast food and sweets.

For example, to prepare for a role, Hollywood actors base their diet on:

• chicken;
• avocado;
• spinach and tomatoes;
• for breakfast - protein cocktail with almond milk and berries.

To gain lean mass, you need to understand that the body requires carbohydrates during exercise. If you go to the gym in the morning, you should eat starchy foods before and after training, and then reduce their consumption in the evening.

Low carbohydrate diet and high level Lean protein helps protect blood vessels with antioxidants, speeds up the rate of cell division, and reduces inflammation.

Glycogen is a form of carbohydrate storage in muscle fibers, the amount of this energy reserve affects anabolism. Thus, it is necessary to eat more carbohydrates than are burned during the day's activity and training.

Protein should be 30-40% diet:

• muscles consist of protein and water;
• it promotes recovery after a hard workout;
• daily consumption ranges from 100 to 300 g for a weight of 50-100 kg;
• consuming excess protein (from 3 g per kg of weight) does not accelerate weight gain;
• consuming less than 1.5 g per kilogram of body slows down muscle growth.

Carbohydrates should be 40-60% from caloric intake:

• to grow, you need to increase the weight of the equipment during training, and carbohydrates are needed for energy;
• if they are deficient, the body will burn incoming protein or muscle, which will make mass gain impossible;
• reducing their amount in the menu causes lethargy, fatigue and reduces interest in training.

Fats should be 10-20% diet:

• they are necessary for the production of hormones;
• When eating lean meat and dairy products, fats must be added using vegetable oils.

The starting ratio of BJU in the diet should be 40/20/40 (for ectomorphs, a greater bias towards carbohydrates is possible), while the energy value will be in the range of 2000-4000 kcal.

However, there is no perfect formula, and you need to use the correction discovered empirically:

• in the absence of a set, we increase calorie content by 10% due to protein and carbohydrates;
• when gaining fat, you need to reduce the proportion of carbohydrates to 30% and fats to 10%;
• if you lack energy, you can increase the amount of carbohydrates up to 60%, reducing the amount of proteins and fats.

It is necessary to constantly adjust the nutrition program to gain muscle mass, choosing a “working” ratio.

Product selection

Foods for gaining muscle mass include not only proteins:

• Lean beef, chicken fillet, veal. Cattle meat contains a lot of conjugated linoleic acid, which helps burn fat and build muscle.
• Beet acts as a source of betaine, which improves liver function and joint regeneration, increases strength and endurance, increasing the level of nitric oxide.
• Buckwheat refers to slow carbohydrates, increases the level of growth hormone, promoting the gain of pure mass.
• refers to fruits that help maintain acid-base balance in the body and ensure muscle growth.
• Cottage cheese rich in casein, which nourishes muscles during sleep (if taken in the evening) and helps avoid severe hunger when burning fat.
• Eggs stimulate muscle strength with the help of protein and yolk, the cholesterol in which, contrary to popular belief, is not associated with atherosclerosis.
• Milk combines whey and casein, rich in glutamine. Whole milk (not store-bought) provides 70% more beneficial omega-3 acids.
• Millet cereal contains up to 12 g of protein per 100 g, and also increases the level of insulin-like growth factor (igf-1), important for building strength, and protects against toxins. Pearl barley has antibacterial properties, improves metabolism. Both grains do not contain gluten, unlike oats.
• Spinach is a source of glutamine for muscle growth.
• Apples and cherries with the help of polyphenols they reduce muscle fatigue and soreness.
• Homemade yogurt without sugar contains up to 10 g of protein per 100 g and less carbohydrates, ideal for snacking.
• Legumes(beans, chickpeas and lentils) contain vegetable protein, which replenishes amino acid reserves.
• Sprouted wheat includes zinc, iron, selenium, potassium and B vitamins, fiber, arginine and glutamine.

Diet for gaining muscle mass

The key to growth - meals every 2-3 hours. You need to plan up to six meals per day, balanced in composition. For example:

• First: 2 boiled eggs + 6 egg whites, oatmeal (buckwheat) - 100 g of cereal, a spoonful of honey, banana.
• Second: 150 g boiled chicken fillet, 40 g low-fat cheese, cucumber and tomato, whole grain bread with peanut butter or a handful of nuts.
• Third: durum wheat pasta (100 g), steamed cutlets (200 g), sauce based on tomatoes, garlic and herbs.
• Fourth: stewed chicken fillet (150 g), lentils or beans (200 g), cabbage salad with cucumber.
• Fifth (post-workout): protein powder shake, half a liter of milk, 1-2 bananas.
• Sixth: baked fish, green beans and beet salad with garlic and walnuts.

Such a weight gain diet for men will provide a calorie content of around 3300 kcal due to 300 g of protein, 400 g of carbohydrates and 60 g of fat.

Is it possible to make mass gain more accessible?

• Protein foods are more expensive than carbohydrate foods. The most affordable products for bodybuilding remain chicken, eggs and cottage cheese. For a day you will need approximately 500 g of chicken breasts, 400 g of homemade cottage cheese with a fat content of less than 5%, 10 eggs, 50 g of low-fat cheese.
• Cabbage remains the cheapest source of fiber.
• Beets are a healthy starchy carbohydrate with a low glycemic index in its raw form, organic acids and minerals.
• Oatmeal is one of the cheapest sources of carbohydrates; it can be alternated with buckwheat and rice.
• You can use nuts, flaxseed oil and raw seeds as fats.
• Bananas and apples with added milk will become components of protein shakes.
• You should not skimp on protein powders when choosing egg ones - they cost no less than fresh eggs, and the benefits are much higher.

In a budget diet for gaining muscle mass, it is worth including a complex protein in order to meet the missing protein requirement.